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HEIGHT AND POSITION OF MOUNT ST. ELIAS 



ISRAEL C. RUSSELL 



[From The National Geographic Magazine, Vol. III.] 



With the Compliments of 



ISRAEL C. RUSSELL, 



United States Geological Surrey, 



Washington, D. C. 



IIKKIIIT AND POSITION OF MOUNT ST. KIJAS. 

I5V 

isi;ai:i. c. risskll. 

(Lh'kJ hcfiirr tin' IhuiriJ oi }f(in(i(i(r--< Derriiihcr 11, ISDl.) 



The height ami position ol' Ah)UiitSt. Eliashavel)cen incasured 
several times (luring the past century with varying results. The 
measurements made i>ri()r to 1S91 liave l)eeu summarized and 
discussed by W. II. Dall, of the V. S. Coast and ( ieodetic Survey.* 
The various results obtained are shown in the following tal»h'. 
With the exce})tion of the ])osition determined hy Malaspina 
and the measurements of 1S<)1, tliey are copied from Dall's rcpoi't. 

Height and.Posilioii of Mount St. Elias. 



Date. 



1786 
1791 
1794 
1847 



1847 
1849 



1872 

1874 
1891 



Authority. 



La Perou.«e 

Malaspina 

Vancouver 

Rus.sian Hydro- 
<?raphic Chart, 
1378 

Tehenkof( Notes). 

Tel)enk()f (Chart 
VII) 

Bach. Can. Inseln. 

English Admir- 
alty Cliart 2172. 

T^.S.Coast Survey . 

Nat. Geog. Soc. 

Ex ; 



Height. 



12,672 feet. 

17,8.->1 " 



Latitude. 



17,8.iO 
] (!.9:!S 

16.938 
16,7r)8 

14,970 
19,500 =fc 400 

18,100 =b 100 



60° 

60 

(SO 



60 

60 

60 
60 

60 
60 



21 
22 

21 
17 

21 
20 



00' 
3.') 
:!0 



00 
36 

:;o 
;;o 

00 
4o 



Longitude. 



60 17 51 



140° 10' 00" 
140 52 17 

140 .39 00 



141 00 00 

140 54 00 

140 54 00 

140 51 00 

141 00 00 
141 00 12 

140 55 30 



The position given by Malaspina is from a report on astro- 
nomical observations made during his voyage,t which places 
the mountain in longitude 134° 33' 10" west of Cadiz. Taking 



"'■'Rep. of the Superintendentof the U. S. Coast Survey for 1875, pp. 157-188. 

t Meniorias sobre las o})vcrsaciones astronomicas hechas por les nave- 
gantes Espanoles en distintos higares delglohe; Por Don .losef Esi)iiios;i 
V Tello. Madrid, en la Iniprente real, Ano de 1809 : 2 vols., larsxe S° ; vol. 
1, pp. 57-60. My attention was directed to this work by Dr. Dall, who 
owns th(> onlv copv T l)av(> seen. 

(231) 



232 



/. C. RimcU— Mount St. lit I as. 






the longitude of Cadiz as Q° W 07" west of ( ireenwicli, the tigures 
given in the table are obtained. 

The data from which the various determinations made previ- 
ous to 1S74 were obtained have not been published. The obser- 
vations made by Messrs. Dall and Baker, of the U. S. Coast and 
Geodetic Survey, are published in full in the annual report of 
that Survey for 1875, already referred to. The observations 
made l)y myself last summer as a i)art of the work of an expedi- 
tion sent to Mount St. Elias by the National Geographic Society 
and the U. S. Creological Survey, from which the height and 
])Ositiou of the mountain have l)cen computed, are as follows: 

A hase line 1(3,876 feet long was measured on tlie beach at Icy 
bay. The line, with the exception of section C to D, as shown 
below, was measured three times in sections of about 3,000 feet 
each. The distances given beloAV in columns 1 and 2 ■were ol)- 
tained with a 100-foot steel tape, and those given in column 3 
with a 300-foot iron wire. These are rough measurements, made 
without the use of a plumb-l)ob and without taking account of 
temi)erature. The ground was quite smooth, with a rise of about 
five feet in tlie center ; but section Cto D was crossed by a stream 
channel al)out 300 feet broad and twenty feet deep. Throughout 
much of the distance the ground was covered with grass, which 
was only jjartially cleared away. The stations at the ends of the 
line were ten feet above high tide. The bearing of the line from 
the western base Avas S. 89° E., magnetic. 

Mi'ciiiurcinents of Buae Line. 





1. 


2. 3. 


Mean. 


Western base to station A . . . 

Station A to station />' 

Station B to station (' 

Station C to station D 

Station D to eastern base. . . . 


Ft. ill. 
3,179 10 
2,355 2 
3,589 
Rejected. 
5,145 5 


Ft. ill. 
3,178 7 
2,354 1 
3,587 9 
2,609 2 
5,144 10 


Ft. in. 
3,178 9 
'2,354 2 
3,586 
2,609 5 
Not meas- 
lU'ed. 


Ft. in. 
.3,179 1 
2,354 (i 
3,587 7 
2,609 ;', 
5,145 1 


Lengtli of base line 


16,875 () 













The measurements of angles were made with a gradienter 
reading by vernier to minutes. The error of the vei'tical arc 
was — 3', and remained constant during the observations. 



^ 



^9^ 



'^ 



luslriintciifal Obscrratlons. 



i St. Elias 

i Eastern base. 

I St. Elias 

\ Eastern base. 

( St. Elias 

t Eastern Ijase. 



( St. Elias 

(, Eastern base 



( St. Elias 

\ Eastern base. 

f St. Elias 

\ P^astern base. 



I St. Elias 

\ Eastern base. 

f St. Elias 

\ Eastern base. 



Right 
vernier. 



21S° 

;J17 



218 
:!17 



21cS 

:;n7 



2()1 




2(il 




50 
14S 



50 
148 



181 
27!) 



AY 



41 
10 



41 
10 



15 
45 



15 
45 



Eel'l W'rtieal 
vernier, an^le. 



Date. 



.38° ;]5^ + 5° 40^ 

i:j: 



;)8 
1 :!7 


.j7 
7 


+ 5 


40 


;>8 

137 


:50 

8 


+ 5 


40 


81 
180 


4;! 
11 


+ 5 


40 



81 4:j +5 40 

180 10 

2:50 15 +5 40 

328 45 



1 5 
09 32 



+ 5 40 



1891, An] 



14, 10 a. Ill 



Measurements of Angles at Eastern Base. 



St. Elias 

Western base 



Riilht Left A'ertical 

vernier. 1 vernier. 1 angle. 



St. Elias 

Western base 



... J 



St. Elias 

Western base 



St. Elias 

Western base 

St. Elias 

Western base 

St. Elias 

Western liase 

St. Elias 

Western base 



252° 
176 

252 

170 



26' I 72° 27' 
19 356 19 



2() 72 26 + 5 34 
19 \ 356 19 



252 

17(i 

252 

176 



176 



176 



252 
176 



25 72 26 
19 356 19 



2t) I 72 27 
19 356 19 



2(5 
19 



+ 5 34 
+ 5 34 

2 26) ; ^- 5 :U 



27 72 28 I + 5 34 
20 356 20 ' 



28 
21 



Date. 



+ 5° 34' 1891, Aug. 17, 1 1.30 a. ni. 



2 p. m. 
4.30 i>. in. 



234 



I. C. Russell — Mount ISt. Ellas. 



From those ol)servations the following angles between the base 
line and the line of sight to the summit of Mount St. Elias are 
obtained. The correction for error of vertical circle has l)een 
applied to the angles of elevation. 

Resulting Aiujles. 



Wehtkun Ba^e. 

1 


Eastern Base. 




Right 
vernier. 


Left 
vernier. 


Corrected 
vertical 
angle. 


Right 
vernier. 


Left 
vernier. 


Corrected 
vertical 
angle. 


1 
2 

3 
4 
5 


98° 31' 
98 32 
98 29 
98 29 
98 29 
98 30 
98 30 
98 25 


98° 32' 
98 30 
98 29 
98 28 
98 27 
98 30 


+ 5° 43' 

+ 5 43 1 
+ 5 43 
+ 5 43 
+ 5 43 
+ 5 43 
+ 5 43 
+ 5 43 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 


76° 7' 
76 7 
76 6 
76 7 
76 7 
76 7 
7(i 7 


7(5° 8' 
7() 7 
76 7 
76 8 


+ 5° 37' 

+ 5 37 
+ 5 37 
+ 5 37 
+ 5 37 


6 

7 


76 8 


+ 5 37 


8 


98 27 








98 29 22 


98 29 00 ! 

j j 


76 6 51 


76 7 36 




Mean.. 98° 29' 12" +5° 43' 

i 


76° 7' 10" +5° 37' 



The known elements of the triangle from which the distance 
of St. Elias from the ends of the base line may be determined 
are : 

S^.ETias. 



WTB. 




KB. 



16,876 feet. 



Tliese data were sent from tlie held to the .Secretary of the 
National (Geographic Society, aiid, in connection with other 
measurejuents made at the same time, have l)cen com])uted l:)y 



Il<:i(j1it of Mount St. K/,i<(.^. 23.1 

Mr. S. S. (uinnctt. of the TniUMl States ( icolo-iical Survey, 'riu- 
ivsults of the coinimtatioii, so far as tlicy I'clatc to .Mount St. 
Klias, arc <;i\-eu lielow : 

t'ompututiun of llie lliKjht of Mount St. Elkis. 

Station. Aiii/I,. U),H7(}J'I. lo(j. 

I )ist. E. base — \V. ba.se z 4.227270 

St. Klias r)° 2:;' :!S" .V. (-'. 1()J,^ sine - 1.02()8(i2 

Western base IIS 2i» 12 lojj. sine - i).!)!)r)218 

Eastern base 7<i 07 JO log. sine ^ 9.987125) 

St. Elias — \V. l)ase = . . . .5.2412()1 
St. Elias — K. base = . . . 5.249350 

log. feet. log. miles, miles. 

Lo.sr. distance : St. Elias — W. base — 5.241201 1.51 8027 ;;.'!. 01 

Log. tan angle of elevation 5° 4;/ =^ 9.0004()5 

1.7447 ft. 4.241720 
Curvature and refraction -- -f 02.") 

AVestern base above sea. .. . +10 Correction for curvature and 

refraction in feet = i S(i. of dist. 

St. Elias alxne sea 18OS0 ft. in miles. 

los;. distance miles = 1.51S63 
1.51863 

log. 4 = 0.(50206 

A. C. log. 7= 9.15490 

log. 02:'. ft. =-- 2.79422 



log. feet. log. m /fes. m iles. 

Loir. distance : St. Elias — E. ))ase — 5.249350 1.52(i716 :')3.63 

Log. tan 5° 37' 8.992750 1 .520710 

0.()020(;0 

17402 =- 4.242100 9.1.-)4902 

Curvature and refraction + 640 

E. base above sea r^r -f 10 log. 046 ft. =^ 2.810394 

St. Elias above sea = 18118 ft. 

Mean elevation above sea level ^= 18099 ft. ; or in round luimbers 18,100 ft. 

Mr. A. Lindcukohl, of the U. S. Coast and (JeocU'lic Survey, 
and Mr. S. S. (laiiiiett have each coin])Uted the j^'eoj^rapliic 
])osition of Mount St. Klias, using the azimuth and angle of 
elevation of the mountain obtained by the U. S. Coast Survey at 
Port Mulgrave in ISTi,'-"- and the elevation given above. From 

*Keport of tbe Superintendent of tbe C. S. Coast Survey for 1875. 
Appendix 10, pp. 157-188. 



230 



/. C. IiusscU — Mount St. Ellas. 



these data the a})i)roxiin;ite position of Mount St. Elias was 
found to be : 

Lat., m° 17' 51" N. 

Long., 140° bb' 80" ^\^ 

Tlie computation by which these results were obtained is given 
below : 

('(tiiijintdlioii of (Ji'O(jr(ij)lilr J'(>i<itioa of Mount St. J'JIius. 



Aziinuth: Port Miilgrave to Mount St. Elias; 
Dirt', aziinuth 

+ 180° 

Azimuth : Mount .St. EUas to Port Muli^rave - 



142° 17^ 17'' 

— 59 55 
180° 



321° 17^ 22^^ 



LatltiKlc. Longitude. 

59° 3:5^ 42'^ = Port INIulgrave = 139° 46' Ki'^ 

+ 44 09 = Dirt", lat. + 1 09 14 = Ditt". lont 



60° 17' 51" = Mount St. Elias 



140° r^y 30" 



1st Term. 2<1 Term. 
Log. meters. 

ho<y. K = (l)iytance, IMulgrave-St. Elia.s) = 5.01 83184 1\- = 0.0366 

Log. cosine azinuith, Z, 142° 17' 17". . . = 9.8982292 Sine- Z. . . = 9.5731 

Log. B 8.5093902 Log. C. . . = l.()335 



Loi^. 26<)6".5 = 3.4259378 Log. 17".6 = 1.2432 



1st term = + 2666".5 
2(1 term = — 17 .6 



Difference lat. 



2648".9 



Log. K , = 5.0183184 

Log. sine aziimith = 9.78(55328 

Log. A* 8.5086148 

Arithmetical comi)lenient (10° 17' 51" = 0.3049593 



Log. rliff. in longitude 4153".6. 



3.6184253 



Log. diff. long = 3.61843 

Log. sine mean latitude 59° 55' 4()" = 9.93722 



Log. diff. azimuth — 3595" = 3.55565 



*.l, i? and Care terms depending on the size and figure of tlie earth 
and tlie latitude of the pUu*. 



Hi 'i( lilt i>J Moiiiii Sf. FAias. 237 

The *:uograi)lu(' position of Mount St. I*>lias is of |io|>ular in- 
terest in connection witli tlic lioundavics of Alaska. 

In the convention l)etwc('n (ireat IJritain and Russia * wherein 
the boundaries olWlaska are supposed to l)e di^lined, it is stated 
that the boundary. l)e>:inninu- at tlie south, alter ieaviuLi- Porthind 
channel, shall follow the summit of the mountains situated 
parallel to the coast as far as the 141st meridian, and from there 
northward the said meridian shall l)e the l)i)undary to tlie Arctic 
ocean. Whenever the summit of the mountains 1)etween Port- 
land channel and the 141st meridian " shall prove; to be at the 
distance of more than ten marine leagues from the ocean, the 
limit between the British possessions and the line of coast Avliich 
is to belong to Russia, above mentioned, shall l)e formed by a 
line parallel to the windings of the coast and which shall never 
exceed the distance often marine leagues therefrom." 

As ]\Iount St. Elias is a[)[»roxinuitely in longitude 140° o.")' ?,()" 
west from Greenwich, as already shown, it is therefore only 4' 
and 30" of longitude or 2> statute miles east of the boundary 
of the main portion of Alaska. Its distance from the nearest 
point on the coast is 33 statute miles. There is no coast range 
in southeastern Alaska ])arallel with the coast within the limits 
specified l)y the treaty, and the l>oundary must thereibre be 
considered as a line parallel with the coast and ten marine 
leagues, or 342 statute miles, inland. The mountain is thus one 
and one-half miles south of the l)Oundary and within the territory 
of the United States. Its position is so near the junction of the 
boundary separating southeastern Alaska from the Northwest 
Territory with the 141st meridian that it is practically a corner 
monument of our national domain. 

* Message from the President of the United States, transmittinuf Report 
on the boundary line between Alaska and British ("ohuu))ia. aOtli Con- 
gress, 2d session, Ex. Doc. No. ]4(), Senate, ISSi). 



